gonzo ride

In Progress Version

In 1971 I was hitchhiking from Cal Arts, where I lived, to the Bay Area. I had waited for a ride for a couple hours when gonzo came to me. A violet Cadillac convertible swerved to the side of the road to pick me up. Three seats were occupied, but they put me in the fourth and off we went. It immediately became obvious that I had not checked my ride first. They were passing around a joint, but the driver was clearly wired for sound - driving safely was not the order of the day. I quickly realized this was not the most secure group to be with nor the best for a traffic stop's questions and inspection.  I needed a way out . I began to look for a reasonable reason and a good place to hitch another ride. At the first opportunity I explained that I wanted to catch a ride all the way to Berkeley or San Francisco and they let me out. I had dodged another bullet,.